Finding a Cat's People, The Search for "Pumpkin's" Purrson...

So far, talking to neighbors hasn't helped identify an owner for the big orange tabby that was struck by a car before finding its way to our barn late Friday night. So this evening, I'm testing the power of Craig's List. I've posted two ads with the following photos.

Tomorrow, I'll print fliers and hang them in our local post office and at the North Plains Veterinary Clinic. With any luck, "Pumpkin's" purrson will see a flier or look through the FOUND or PETS sections of Craig's List.

For his part, "Pumpkin" is totally disgusted with his incarceration at the emergency clinic. He's still in an immense amount of pain from his injuries, the biggest of which is a broken pelvis. For now, "Pumpkin" cannot get into a litter box, so those tendng to his wounds are also wiping away urine. It's a tough deal for an independent, fiesty cat like "Pumpkin," one who is used to calling his own shots.

Besides looking put out, "Pumpkin" is also doped up on painkillers. When I visited today, he didn't feel like thanking me and I certainly can't blame him. He may or may not survive his encounter with the car, but it sure would be grand to see him reunited with his purrson. Please keep praying for "Pumpkin," a cat who very much needs a miracle.

A Calf's Bath

Daisy's calf's coat always looks startlingly clean. The secret, it seems, is the frequent calf baths "Tip" receives, courtesy of Daisy and her sandpaper rough tongue.

The adult cattle, Tad, Daisy, Libbey, and Tove, like to go into the woods of the lower pasture, where they can brush and comb their coats clean by rubbing against the trees. Unfortunately, there aren't any woods in the upper pastures, so Daisy and Tad are looking a bit rumpled as of late.

Experiencing the bovine tongue is one of life's rare and wonderful interspecies encounters. It's definitely something you should do. A cow's tongue is rough enough to tickle, which always makes me giggle.

A Calf's Bath, Daisy Cleans "Tip"

Prayers for an Accident Victim, Pumpkin the Orange Tabby

Will you pray for an orange tabby cat, name unkown, found lying outside our barn late last night? The poor dear was in an immense amount of pain, the likely victim of an unintentional hit and run.

Her fur was cool to the touch and she was having trouble moving her back legs. My husband and I wrapped her in a towel and brought her into the warm barn where I laid her on the dog bed.

In less than five minutes, I had my mare, Whisper's, legs wrapped. Knowing what we needed to do, Don and I gathered up the kitty and headed for the car.

The rumble of the garage door caused the orange tabby to panic, so my hubby grabbed a cat carrier and we gently guided "Pumpkin" inside. All the while, she talked to us, occasionally crying out in what can only be described as spine-tingling cat screams. We placed a towel beneath the carrier on the front passenger seat and turned on the bum warmer, thinking the heat might help.

En route, I phoned Lisa at the Tanasbourne Emergency Animal Clinic and gave her an estimated time of arrival, fifteen to twenty minutes. Then I drove like a curious mix of heaven and hell. I didn't want to hit an animal, but I also knew that time was of the essence. All the while, I talked to "Pumpkin" and she to me. If her carrier grew quiet, I gently tapped the side until I had a response.

Lisa was waiting and she rushed the injured kitty into the back of the clinic, where the attending vet administered pain medication, performed an initial exam, and took X-Rays. The diagnosis, a broken pelvis in non-weight bearing areas, was alarming.

The doctor explained that "Pumpkin's" back end didn't seem responsive, although it may have been a function of being in shock and also being very cold -- a mere 94 degrees. Only time will tell. For now, I've left my name and number and a donation to cover part of "Pumpkin's" medical bills.

Here's what I DO know about the orange tabby. She's been hanging around the ranch for the past month or so, spending part of her time beneath our deck. I've seen her chase Sprite, our very tiny dog, and she's been chased by Lei Lei, my daughter's medium-sized dog. On at least one occasion, "Pumpkin" regally marched in front of the dogs and I and seemed very much at home, strutting an "I own this place" sort of attitude.

Several times, I've attempted to get close enough to pet "Pumpkin," but she's always kept a polite distance. Thinking back, the orange tabby has always been sleek and well fed, an indication that she belongs to someone. Furthermore, two bright surgical clips, the result of spay surgery, glow white on "Pumpkin's" X-Ray, an indication that she's more than a feral cat.

If "Pumpkin's" back legs are responsive in the next day or two, she should be able to mend completely with six to eight weeks of cage rest. If not, the clinic will humanely euthanize her. For now, "Pumpkin's" prognosis is guarded.

Before I left the clinic, I went back and checked on "Pumpkin." She was sedated and lying on a plush pillow, a blanket over her, a hair dryer type apparatus pumping warm air all around her. I gently stroked her head and promised I would do my best to find her people.

Tomorrow, I'll canvas the neighbors and see if I can locate "Pumpkin's" owner. For now, will you pray for the beautiful, brave orange tabby, the one that miraculously dragged herself from the road to the front of the barn?

It would be good to pray for the poor person who accidentally clipped this kitty, too. I'm sure they are worried and wondering about the little flash of orange that collided with their tires.

Until morning, rest and mend well sweet Pumpkin cat.

"There is something magical about saving the life of a lving thing, if you can do it. It is an affirmation of life itself, a bow to humanity, connection in a time of fragmentation, an affirmation. We can't do much, but maybe we can do this, and that makes it a sweet little miracle." ~Jon Katz

The Return of the Star Magnolia

Despite the hail storm this past weekend, the lone Star Magnolia's blossoms unfurled magnificently. I snapped this photo yesterday in the late afternoon. I love the way the plant is backlit, the light seductively wrapping around each blossom.

Duck-Aeration: Three Hard-Working Gals

The ducks of Sweetgrass Ranch are hard-working gals, running from place to place, heads tilted toward the earth as they listen for slugs, bugs, grubs, and worms. The trio -- Blue, Esmerelda, and Coco -- make a voracious eating machine... with benefits.

When there's a hatch of pesky lawn destroying Craneflies, these billed crusaders leap into the air, snatching their unsuspecting prey in mid-flight. While on patrol, they fertilize the grass and work their magic with a little duck-aeration.

Best of all, the ducks of Sweetgrass produce pastel pink and green eggs that are sought after by bakers and Asian chefs.

At Long Last, A Dry Day

It was officially the wettest March on record for the Portland, Oregon area. From our vantage point here at the ranch, the valley floor looked like one big lake.

The first weekend in April was a "ditto" with a hellacious wind and hail storm late Saturday and a fair amount of rain on Sunday, making today -- a beautiful, sunny, dry day -- a slice of heaven.

We were able to get "no spray" signs set, reflective X, O markers that let the county know we'll be taking care of the weeds on the portion of our property that fronts the main road. We were also able to work a couple of horses beneath the brilliant blue sky. Did I mention that it felt like HEAVEN?

Here's a snapshot of little Tip, who will be two weeks old tomorrow, grazing in the upper pasture.

Earlier today, Tip took a couple of big shocks when he touched his nose to the pasture fencing's electric wire. Tip's mama, Daisy, presumed that the big steer, Tad, was to blame for her calf's speedy retreat and bawling fit. She mercilessly charged poor Tad repeatedly, sending him running for cover. Hell hath no fury like a cow's wrath.

The Daily Egg Returns to Sweetgrass Ranch

In the fall, when daylight becomes scarce, our three Indian Runner ducks stop laying eggs. We could extend the season by providing artificial light, but I've found it best to make winter a time of rest and rebuilding for the girls.

Come spring, as days lengthen, the ducks again begin to lay. I found the first egg of 2012, a pastel pink one made by a duck named Esmerelda, this morning. The other two Sweetgrass ducks, Coco and Blue, lay pastel green eggs.

Duck eggs are slightly larger than chicken eggs and have a higher protein content. They are sought after by bakers -- mostly for the moist, delicious cakes they help produce -- and Asian chefs.

In the past, I've sold duck eggs to a Vietnamese restaurant and to individuals who have children who are allergic to chicken eggs.

Plucking a newly laid duck egg from the nest box, feeling the warmth, always feels a little like touching God to me. It's a marvelous experience, one I'm grateful to experience often.

Sometime in the near future, I hope to add chickens, three Buttercup hens, to our small home flock. Until then, here's a snapshot of Sweetgrass Ranch's first daily egg for 2012:

The Daily Egg, Courtesy of a Duck Named Esmerelda, Returns to Sweetgrass Ranch